The Way Back Home
by Bramblelegs747
Summary: A search for a home and a new life has lead the young exotic Rei Kaminari to the Leaf village in the hope of finding acceptance and duty (Kakashi x OC)


The steady moon held high in the midsummer sky. A light breeze from the north rustled the leafs in the trees, and the sound of an evenly flowing river added to the landscape. But the calmness of such a beautiful night had been destroyed in less than a moment.

A dark haired kunoichi limped along the frequently used path leading to Konoha, her right hand tightly wrapped over her waist and her left catching the blood that fell from her lips. Every once in a while a violent fit of coughs would erupt from her staggering figure, and a wave of convulsions would wrack her body to the core.

Her memories of prejudice family had left scars on her conscience. Her very own clan had chased her out of her manor in the most barbaric of fashions, leaving her wounded and alone without anywhere to go. A Kaminari without a home is hardly a Kaminari at all. The one thing that her people held highest of all, is that of family ties. And yet with the new found knowledge of someone different, they segregate and corral the difference out of their sight.

For the first time, Rei is completely alone, without the warmth of friends, family or even a country to call home. Life for such a devoted person such as a Kaminari that basis everything they have off of the security and bonds to have lost everything is like condemning them to death. And that is exactly what her clan had meant to do.

"Dammit." Rei choked out as a wave of violent convulsions worked its way throughout her failing body.

Stumbling forward, she did her best to hold herself together. She could see the lights of Konohagakure over the few hills that steadily encouraged her to keep moving. The only place that she could possibly find sanctuary would be the village Hidden in the Leafs. Her family had always had good relations with the Hokage, often sending the pupils of their clan to be taught in the ways of the shinobi.

Everything in Rei's life has lead her to where she was today. Rei had been born with what her clan called a deformity. They recognized her as different, and therefore impure and cannot possibly be apart of the so-called 'Royal family'. The pride of the Kaminari clan is completely barbaric; they would rather dispose of what they believe to be a blasphemy than to accept them as a person.

This is what happened to Rei. She was run out of her home by those she called family. Rei had been the first born to her parents. Who were supposedly the carriers of the most pure Kaminari blood. Apparently, she'd disgraced her mother and father because she'd been born different; it had been so severe a disgrace that the clan was embarrassed to have such an abnormal gene in its people.

So they'd attempted to kill her- but having failed in the process had resulted to simply running Rei out of the clan borders and out of the Land of Lightning.

The hidden Leaf is known for their hospitality and understandings of outsiders, at a time such as this it only seems natural to go to the most neutral of places. Perhaps there she could find people that could accept her for being different, maybe, just maybe Rei could be looked upon as something other than a blasphemy. If she lucky, Rei could live her life there in happiness.

But first the task of actually making it to the village. During her run to the border between the two countries of Fire and Lightning she'd preemptively ditched her hitai-ite. Therefore, completely resigning as a shinobi loyal to the land of Lightning. If she cannot be welcome in her own clan, then Rei did not wish to be recognized as one of them either.

During the attempted assassination upon Rei's life, one of her former clan-mates had managed to land a heavy hit upon her left-side making it feel as though they'd effectively crushed several of her ribs. The pain started just above her waist all the way to her mid-thigh. The only way to ease the pain away, even the slightest, came from her right arm wrapped firmly around her waist. This helped Rei to not only forget the pain, but also steady her ragged breathing.

Over Rei's arms and legs a series of gashes, all ranging in size and severity, littered her body leaving the impression of a cats nails ripping through flesh. Everything felt sore, and every now and then when a violent cough would wrack through her body; rather than phlegm, blood would escape from her now purple lips. Surely, the intent meant to cripple Rei had taken its toll upon her withering body.

Limping forward Rei caught a glimpse of a shadow moving throughout the trees, only to stop suddenly to a halt. The figure appeared to be that of a man, his hair wildly sticking up and to the side of his being. The moon shown brightly upon Rei, clearly making it so that she would not be the threat in this situation. The figure stepped out of the shadow of the trees and on to the bare path that she followed. The man dressed in the typical Konoha shinobi attire, although roughly three-quarters of his face happened to be covered by both a mask and that of a head band indicating his allegiance to that of Konoha. One lazy looking grey eye gazed upon her with slight interest and surprise.

The man didn't speak, but rather took to studying her overall condition.

While Rei tried to look as least threatening as possible; which really shouldn't be that hard, considering she looked as though she could be the walking dead!

Just as Rei was about to speak up, a series of convulsions forced their way through her body and a cough erupted violently from her lips forcing a mouthful of blood past them. Rei attempted to cover her mouth with her hand, but it failed to even prove a point because the blood just ended up falling through her fingers and splashing onto the gravel path.

Rei's vision began to blur, and the once bright and beautiful moon became a mess of contrast between white and black. She could feel herself falling as her knees buckled from beneath her. But it seemed that just before she reached the gravel Rei had been caught.

As she tried to focus her eyes to see what had just happened, she felt myself lifted up into the arms of this mysterious man. He held her in his arms bridal-style as Rei attempted to put her left arm over his shoulders to try to ease the weight of her body off his arms. But she failed miserably, as she hardly had the strength to even focus her eyes upon the face of the man.

"Wh-... where, are you taking me?" it sounded barely like a whisper that escaped her lips.

"To get help." he replied, his voice strong and Rei could feel how it vibrated through his chest and into her weakened body.

Rei closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest the side of her face upon his chest. Just to hear such a strong voice, it just eased all the tension away from her chest, and strangely, she could feel an easier breath enter her body.

Taking her right hand, that had previously been tightly wrapped over her waist, she placed it on his chest in a friendly manor.

"Thank you."

She closed her eyes, succumbing to the call of sleep. And she trusted herself to a complete stranger.

.0.0.

The limping form a woman had been the only thing to stop Kakashi's race back to Konoha. When he'd stopped and focused his attention in her direction, he'd been struck by her obvious beauty. She held this exotic look of deep red eyes that shown in the moonlight in contrast with her paling skin. Her long black hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders in the most elegant way possible, and yet she dressed in a most conservative manner. As he looked over her figure Kakashi couldn't locate a village indicator, but rather found that she carried a thin sword that hid under an electric-blue sash across her hip.

The obviousness that she held the qualities of a kunoichi was only furthered by her actual physical condition. Cuts littered her body, and her ragged breathing could be heard from the distance he stood away. She also kept her right arm tightly over her hips, and now that he noticed it, she also looked slightly too pale.

Just as she went to speak up, Kakashi watched as a shiver ran through her body, and she coughed violently into her hand. Blood dripped through her fingers and onto the gravel she stood on. Her deep eyes widened without focus and she began to stumble forward and her knees buckled beneath her.

Her condition and need clicked into his mind, and just as she was about to reach the ground Kakashi caught her in his arms. As he steadied her, Kakashi pulled her left arm over his shoulders and pulled her legs up to his chest. The woman looked up to him and did her best to use her strength to ease some of the weight off his arms. But even just after a few moments her arm failed her and she slumped back down into his own.

"Wh-... where, are you taking me?" her voice barely that of a whisper.

"To get help." Kakashi replied, already planning on rushing this woman to the hospital.

She closed her eyes, and placed her left hand on his chest in a thanking gesture.

"Thank you."

She closed her eyes, and feel unconscious in his arms. She really wasn't all that heavy, and considering the severity of her wounds she'd been through a lot. Whatever had happened to her had been no accident. But that only begs the question, what put her in this situation? Where is she from? What is her name? So many questions, and yet one thing is certain; Kakashi had to get this women to the hospital as fast as possible.

So he pulled her tightly to his chest, and continued his dash back to Konoha. The city streets could be found still littered with the odd civilian and even off duty shinobi out with friends for a drink. The overall welcoming scene of people had become accustomed to seeing the rare bleeding shinobi running down the streets headed for the hospital, so they'd learned to stay out of their way pretty quickly.

Once Kakashi made it through the familiar streets and up the steps of the lightened hospital, he rushed to the front desk. The woman who sat there having once been bored and simply throwing a pen in the air and catching it repeatedly, had then stopped abruptly at his entrance and motioned him into the correct direction of the emergency rooms.

Briskly he walked down the hallway, and once the nurse led him to an open room he set the still unconscious woman down upon the starch white hospital bed. Nurses began to flood the room and a doctor even came in to assess her condition, and wrap her in bandages. Once he'd finished, the middle-aged greying man turned to Kakashi, his clipboard in hand.

"What happened?" the doctor questioned.

"I only found her in this condition." Kakashi explained, still getting over the overall shock of finding this woman just outside the village walls. "She isn't a kunoichi of Konoha. So she must be from another nation..."

The doctor nodded, and scribbled something onto the paper he held. "Considering her wounds she's been through a lot... The entire left set of her ribs have been crushed. A punctured lung and some damage to her internal organs. It's impressive that she's was able to move with the amount of pain she was dealing with... Not to mention a series of deep gashes covering her arms and the deepest can be found on her thighs." the doctor paused. "I assume that when you'd found her she'd been unconscious?"

Kakashi shook his head lightly. "She was awake, and walking the path to Konoha. It seemed she was determined to make it here..."

"Did she mention a name?" the Doctor inquired.

"No, she'd hardly been able to talk before collapsing."

The Doctor looked at the woman unconscious on the bed thoughtfully. "When I was younger I'd taken a trip to the Land of Lightning. When I was there I'd come in contact with a shinobi clan named Kaminari... she holds a resemblance to the ones I'd come in contact with. I wonder if she is one of them?" he seemed to drift off in thought. "Even if she isn't, if she did make it here from Lightning country, she didn't stop moving once. Even at top speed, you ninja take at least a couple days. She must be incredibly strong..."

"What would it mean if she was a Kaminari?" Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest in thought.

"It would mean that..." the Doctor seemed slightly reluctant to say something. "There's something special about her."

The Doctor turned to leave the room. The nurses were still at work healing the exotic woman before them. Each of their hands were flaring with green healing chakra as they worked with their medical ninjutsu. Not long after the nurses asked him to leave the room so that they could undress and bandage the woman. During the time that Kakashi waited he silently leaned against the wall outside of the room.

Kakashi began to run through all the knowledge he had of Kumogakure. He knew they kept quiet about which clans they had under their village, they liked to keep whatever kekkei genkai they had to themselves. So what made the Kaminari so special? Sure, he might have heard the name a few times during his time in the ANBU, but he'd never heard anything memorable about them either.

Kumogakure was also known for trying to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress in an attempt to obtain the byuakugan. They wanted a doujutsu in their ranks, so badly that they would steal a child.

But to kick out someone for being 'special', what the hell kind of plot were they planning? Was it possible that the woman in that hospital bed was some sort of spy? Even Kakashi wasn't sure if he could receive those types of injuries willingly and then race day and night across the country. It would be enough to kill anyone.

But then, there is still no answer as to if she really came from Kumo. However, it doesn't matter which country she came from. She is most certainly a kunoichi. And Kakashi had to be sure that the event that just happened weren't some sort of plot against Konoha.

It wasn't long until the nurses were finished, and allowed Kakashi access back into the room. When he looked down at the woman he found her heavily bandaged, and dressed in hospital ware. An IV had been put into her left arm.

"When do you think she'll wake?" Kakashi questioned and he looked at the unmoving woman.

The nurse that was closest to him looked up to meet his single eye."Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps longer. I'd say max two or three days. Considering the condition she's in, nurses are going to be busy fixing her internally."

He nodded in recognition, "I see..."

Kakashi planned to come back to see her when she woke. His curiosity could just be getting the better of him here, but at the same time, he'd been the one to find her. So he should be the one to question her.

He passed his one eyed gaze over the woman before him once more. Her black hair had been pulled over her shoulders and her bangs away from her eyes. Kakashi noted that he skin was already starting to get some of its color back after having been treated by the medics. But her lips were still tinged a light purple, and just under her eyes he could see the purple-ish marks of poor or no sleep. The bland hospital sheets and bleak walls made her look like a her skin was paper thin under the harsh lights. But even in such terrible condition, Kakashi could admit that she was a remarkably beautiful woman.

Her hands had been placed on her sides; and just as Kakashi was about to turn away he stopped himself. On her right hand there looked to be some sort of marking. When he moved to the side of her bed, and took the hand in his own he stared at the design of a black flame. It wasn't a tattoo, and it certainly wasn't a bruise of some sort. So his last guess was a birthmark.

He placed her hand down on the bed lightly, and then turned to leave the room. He needed to report back to the Hokage, and submit a report recounting everything that had happened. This wasn't something that could wait till morning.

.0.0.

The next time Rei opened her eyes, she'd been greeted by a harsh artificial light and the dull colors of a hospital room. The sheets felt scratchy upon her skin, and she found that she'd been redressed into a light grey shirt and knee-length shorts. An IV could be found attached to her left wrist, and a heart meter on her index finger. She felt sore, everywhere.

But in an instant Rei realized that she could breathe without pain. Her chest no longer heaved with difficulty and the bandaged wrapped around her arms and thighs helped to comfort the gashes beneath. As a whole, Rei could admit that she didn't feel that bad.

"Finally up I see." a mans voice spoke from the corner of the room.

Rei hadn't noticed a wild silver–haired man sitting in the corner of the room with his nose stuck in a book. But slowly she began to push herself to sit up, she experienced some difficulty but was nonetheless capable. She met the one-eyed gaze with her own.

"Where am I?" Her memory from the previous events happened to be startling hazy.

The man closed his book, to reveal an almost completely covered face. He walked over to the side of the hospital bed, and pushed his hands into his pocket.

"Konoha. I'm the one that found you two nights ago."

Two nights? Rei couldn't believe she'd been unconscious for two nights! Clearly her wounds had been worse than what she'd thought. Rei reached back and pulled her long hair over her shoulder in an attempt to find some closure in her current situation.

"Thank you."

The man offered a closed eye smile. "Naturally. Now, can you tell me what exactly happened to put you in that situation?"

The typical curiosity of Rei's savior had obviously taken it's toll. She can only imagine what kind of possibilities happened to be running through his mind. It's obvious to deduce that she is not from the land of Fire, so the questions he has must be endless. Also, judging from his attire he could easily be recognized as a shinobi, and it is their duty to report to their leader. So that must be what he intends to do after formally speaking to me, so in other words, it would be best to simply comply with his questions. Rei didn't want to cause any problems. After all, she is seeking a new home. And the possibility of said home being the Leaf would be fantastic.

"It's a long story."

"Why not just tell me your name then." he prompted.

I met his gaze,"Rei Kaminari of Lighning country, and you are?"

"Kakashi Hatake." he replied. "What is a Lightning shinobi doing so far from home?"

His name sounds vaguely familiar, but nonetheless foreign to Rei's knowledge. She looked down to her hands folded in her lap. Absentmindedly, she covered the back of her right hand, and in the process also covering the black flame birthmark.

"My clan ran me out. I'm no longer a shinobi of Kumo."

"Your clan ran you out?" Kakashi questioned, clearly not aware of the barbarisms of the Kaminari. "Why would they do that?"

Rei shook her head and tried not to glare at the man. He's only doing his job, he's obviously meant to question what a strange kunoichi is doing showing up wounded in a Konoha hospital. It just hurt to call upon the memories she held deep inside of her. She didn't want to think of her clan ever again.

"Because I'm different."

The expression on the mans face changed to a form of realization. As if finally hearing the truth about a secret religiously kept. He resulted to placing his hands comfortably upon his hips.

"So it's true isn't it? You posses the lost kekkei genkai of the Kaminari, don't you?" his conclusion honestly surprised Rei. "That would be the only reason why such a secluded clan would ever injure and run out one of their own."

Her eyes widened. How could this man know of the so-called 'lost' kekkei genkai? The knowledge of the Kaminari clan has pretty much dropped off the face of the map. Not even Kumo knew much about what happens internally inside the clan. The traditions and mannerisms of Rei's former clan are just so extreme that the various other clans surrounding them, and even the authorities preferred to stay out of their affairs.

She simply nodded.

The man's eye slightly lightened, with a sort of sympathy. "When you are well enough, I will take you to the Hokage. I'm sure you will be most welcome in this village."

Again, this man has offered help and closure to Rei and she hardly even knew him. These Leaf ninja sure are understanding...

"I'm willing to enlist as a shinobi of the Leaf. I can assure you that I never want to return to the land of Lightning..." the hurt and determination obviously prominent in her voice, regardless of how hard Rei tried to hide it.

"I'm sure that there wouldn't be any problems with that..." Kakashi shrugged, "Besides, this village is known for all of it's exceptional shinobi."

Something in Rei forced a blush to her cheeks. She'd never been given any recognition as being great or exceptional before. It had always been a forced life of hiding her power. Her life before had been a day-to-day charade and trying to stay alive. Rei's mother had wanted me to stay within the clan and keep living life as a lie, but her father hated the fact that she happened to have been born different. Rei's younger brother and sister both grew to hate her, as dictated by the clan heritage that anyone different is evil and, therefore, must be disposed of.

"This honestly means a lot to me."

.0.0.

Kakashi had ended up visiting Rei during her final two days in the hospital as well. It turned out that he's actually really good at just keeping an interesting conversation going. They'd talked about their ambitions, what sorts of missions they'd been on, places they'd traveled to. Okay, maybe Kakashi didn't talk all the much about his own experiences, but Rei wasn't about to hide anything. She wanted to make a friend. She wanted to show that she really wasn't trying to hide anything. But she had to admit, he is exceptionally easy to just talk to... and that's something Rei had never found in a person before.

The nurse had been notified of Rei's plan to leave the previous day, and had been instructed to have woken her up at 8:30am today. She'd allowed Rei time for a shower, and returned her clothes that had been washed and dried. Rei'd also been given a light breakfast of bran-muffin and pomegranate juice. She ended up finding herself ready by 9:15 for when Kakashi would collect her to bring Rei to meet the Hokage.

Rei studied herself in the bathroom mirror. She'd dressed in the clothes she'd worn during her escape from her home. She took the moment to realize that she had lost weight. Her hips used to be fuller, and her thighs thicker. But now she looked like she had lost almost 15 pounds. Thinking back, Rei realized that she hadn't been eating right for the past month. And after the events that occurred they had strained her body. She would have to work on getting back to normal weight.

Just as Rei ran a hand through her hair, the door to the hospital room opened to reveal the now familiar masked face of Kakashi. Rei smiled when she caught his eye, and finished her inspection of herself by securing her sash over her slimmer hips, and the sword just under it.

"Lets go." he motioned to the door. "I'll be taking you to meet the Hokage now."

Rei nodded, and walked through the door following Kakashi. He leadhere out of the hospital, and into the already bustling street. As they walked Rei began to feel overwhelmed by everything around her; the colors, the people, just everything! The various shops were beginning to open, and civilians began to fill the market streets. The most frequent of people she noticed were those wearing the same vest as Kakashi, obviously indicating that they too are jounin of the Leaf.

However, every once in a while she'd catch someone out of the corner of my eye just staring at her. Honestly, the feeling is rather unnerving. Some held the look of curiosity, while others seemed to scrutinize and pick apart everything about her. Rei could understand the wonder as to why a foreign women is being escorted to the main government building, but she didn't see why some people could feel threatened by the obvious peaceful stature she tried to emit.

To resolve her conflicted thoughts, Rei turned to Kakashi. "I'm sure you've noticed some of the reactions I've been picking up."

"The shinobi of the village aren't too accustomed to seeing foreign shinobi being escorted. To some it gives off the wrong impression." he explained cooly.

"Are you sure I'll be accepted into the village?" Rei trailed off, already getting discouraged.

"I have no doubt. The Hokage will not send away an obvious asset."

The compliment felt nice, but even so; just because an asset is nice to have, doesn't mean that everyone respects it.

They soon made it to the main building. The symbol for the land of Fire could be found proclaiming itself proudly at the very front of the building. Rei continued to follow Kakashi as he lead her through the hallways to a plain wooden door. From there he knocked, and entered. Inside the figure of a man standing in the standard Kage robes could be found looking out the large window and over the booming city.

When the man turned to look at them, Rei been surprised by the obvious age of the man. In most cases the job of Kage would be passed on to a younger successor to pass on the role of leader. But looks can be deceiving, so she definitely wouldn't want to go too far against this man.

"Ah, Kakashi." he dipped his head in acknowledgment, "And miss Rei Kaminari. Thank you for meeting me today. Please, sit."

The Hokage motioned to the two chairs situated in front of his desk, while Kakashi and Rei complied- Rei took the seat to the right, and waited.

The elderly man seemed interested as he looked over Rei, as if looking for something. "No hitai-ite?"

"No sir."

"Any reason why?" he inquired thoughtfully.

"I am not loyal to a country that will allow its internal clans to attempt murder against their own." Rei's teeth ground together in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"I see..." the Hokage pulled a pipe from a drawer in his desk. "The traditions of the Kaminari clan are brutal indeed. In the rare occurrence that they would even run out one of their own is... something to take interest in as well. What exactly is their reason for doing so?"

Again, Rei absentmindedly covered her right hand with her left.

"I was born different to the rest of the clan. They believed that I harbored an deranged power that would dishonor it's people. My father had been the leader of the clan, but because I'd been born with this," Rei pulled the glove from her right hand to reveal the black flame birthmark, the very same mark that supposedly gives her power. "It's meant to be the lost kekkei genkei of my clan, the only way I know this is because before I'd been run out I'd taken the time to go into the clan archives. From what I can tell, I'm the first one in over a century to have it."

"Interesting, but why come to Konoha?" the man scratched at his short beard on his chin.

"Because the land of Fire has always been a friend to my family. And from previous experience, the shinobi here are much more ... understanding, compared to that of my previous encounters." Rei paused as she pulled her glove back on, "I'd hoped to enlist as a shinobi of the Leaf."

The Hokage nodded with a smile upon his face, "I believe that can be arranged. However, I must ask. What sort of training have you had?"

Kakashi seemed to incline forward in interest.

"The Kaminari clan has a way of training their young, and are particularly hard to come by the skills they are taught." The Hokage continued.

"It is true. I'd started my training at 3½ years. My sensei had been strict, and rather than the conventional three students it had only been a teacher and student duo. I've been trained to handle being outnumbered in battle. Regarding my main skills; I rely more on speed rather than physical strength. I'd been the top of my age group in taijutsu, but because of my unnatural ability to twist the normal chakra natures I'd been forbidden by my father to use ninjutsu. But I have to admit, I'd not paid much attention to his words." Rei explained.

"What exactly is this kekkei genkai you hold?" Kakashi inquired.

"I'd been born with the flame birthmark on my hand; and the flame itself happens to be the symbol of my clans heritage as well... But it is believed that the birthmark is what allows me to combine fire with shadow natures. I can manipulate the flame easily throughout my body, and the conventional fire and shadow jutsu are possible as well. However, I've had to spend a fair amount of time just trying to go through the clan archives to learn about the little information as to how one actually uses this power. Unfortunately, there is next to nothing. I only have knowledge of a few jutsu that allow me to use this power."

"This is interesting. So you can fundamentally control two separate natures, and combine them. Now that is a skill..." the Hokage trailed off in thought. "What is your age, rank and experience?"

"I am 24 years old, a jounin and completed +50 missions. The Kaminari clan does not label it's missions on a scale of difficulty. The shinobi is simply given the mission without question." Rei explained.

Rei couldn't help but catch Kakashi's one grey eye widen when she'd spoken of herself. During their talks in the hospital, she hadn't gotten into anything about her ninja history, nor anything about her personal self.

"So young," the elderly man took a puff of his pipe. "I believe you will fit nicely here. You are hence forth a shinobi of the Leaf, you will partake in missions and honor our code as shinobi."

Rei nodded her head politely. "Thank you sir."

"And if you don't mind me asking." the man dipped his head. "But what experience do you have in teaching?"

Her eyes widened in shock from the strange request. "None, but I have no doubt that I'd be able to do so if need be."

"I'm also offering you the position as sensei to one of our academy students. It seems there is an odd number of students ready to graduate this year, and one in particular shows outstanding independence and skill. It would be an interesting experience to see one of our own shinobi taught for one-on-one combat with a single teacher. If you're up for it, of course."

"I wish to do my part as a shinobi of the leaf. If that includes the role as sensei, then so be it." Rei replied confidently. "Who is this student?"

"Her name is Lilly Adira, she's one of the top in her class. But I'm told that she can have a slight attitude." the Hokage laughed lightly. "She's tough though, and also happens to be the only one that young Sasuke Uchiha will even talk to."

Adira. That name felt familiar to Rei. Perhaps she'd read about it in the clan archives?

"Alright then. I will take the role as her sensei." Rei nodded.

"Good, good. I will send a hawk for you for more information later. For now, I suggest you find an apartment."

"Thank you again, sir."

.0.0.

After having gotten the name of the woman he had brought to the hospital he had done all the research physically possible to find out about her background and the clan itself. He read their history, and had only managed to find one document that hardly explained what this black flame birthmark on her hand meant. It was frustrating. But as he visited her, and spoke to her he could see that she was indeed genuine in her intentions.

She had explained at one point that her people relied heavily on family ties. She'd mentioned that now that she wasn't apart of them anymore she wanted a new family. She said that she would be happy with a few friends, and just living out the rest of her life as simply as possible.

Kakashi found her to be absolutely intriguing. She was exotic and beautiful, yes- but she was also incredibly honest. He'd also caught brief moments that had vaguely told him how intelligent she really was. But he could firmly say that he believed her when she said that she just wanted to start over. He was satisfied with the knowledge, and knew right then and there that she was never and will never be a threat to Konoha.

So when he'd spoken to the Hokage before bringing her to speak to him, he had spoken of his thoughts. It was rare that he could so firmly believe in something. But he did, and he urged the Hokage to welcome her into the village as a jounin.

Together, they had exited the Hokage's office and found themselves back out on the streets of Konoha. Kakashi began to think about what would happen next for the woman four years his junior.

"Thank you Kakashi."

The gratitude she portrayed is rare amongst most. It's a nice change to see in a person, and it made everything she said sound so genuine.

"You're welcome." he smiled behind his mask. "Let me help you find an apartment. I know some nicer areas."

"You know, I think you and I will become good friends." she said as she walked beside him, her grip firm on her new Leaf engraved hitai-ite.

For such an interesting women to say this he couldn't help myself to smile back at her.

"I think we will too."


End file.
